In endocrine exophthaimos, changes in the mucopolysaccharide in the orbital tissues are believed to play an important role. In order to investigate the changes induced by the exophthalmogenic factor in the serum of patients, the following experiment was undertaken.
Male guinea pigs, 200-250g, were divided into four groups according to the treatment.
Group I: Normal control, 5ml. of normal saline was injected.
Group II: 5m1. of normal human serum was injected.
Group III: 5ml of patients´ serum was injected.
Group IV: TSH preparation (Ambition, Organon), 5. International Unit was injected.
All injections were repeated every day for 3 days, and 48 hours after the last injection, animals were bled to death and the tissues were removed.
Water content of retrobulbar connective tissue, hexosamine and hydroxyproline content of Harder´s gland and ventral lacrimal gland were determined.
In animals treated with patient´s serum, water content & hexosamine content increased significantly, whereas hydroxyproline showed no change. TSH preparation caused the same changes as the patient´s serum. Animals injected with normal human serum showed no changes either in water content nor hexosamine and hydroxyproline content. The increased water content is considered to be followed by the accumulations of. mucopolysaccharide, of which hexosamine is the main component. The possible relationship between exophthaimos-producing factor and changes in orbital tissues were discussed.
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